Vacation to Kota Padang

Kota Padang is known to be the main gate to Minang Highland, an original ethnic from West Sumatra. In the city, you can feel the cultural atmosphere from several tourism objects such as Mentawai which famous place for surfing. Besides enjoying the culture, you can also enjoy the natural beauty through several other objects the city has to offer. Now check out this list of awesome tourism objects around the city of Padang.

1. Air Terjun Tiga Tingkat (Three-Stories Waterfall)

The waterfall, just like its own name, is a waterfall that consists of three levels. With the total height of 1,080 meters, it is quite difficult to reach the top. There are not many people has succeeded to make it to the top due to the slippery and wet track. Mostly, people just hike to the second level as the track is quite hiker-friendly.

Tiga Tingkat Waterfall(Source: Facebook. Credit: Andhre Putra)

Tiga Tingkat Waterfall is located about 22 kilometers away from the city. So the most comfortable way to get there is by using a taxi. Quite far indeed, but all this distance really is paid off by the breath-taking view you will see there. The water is so fresh you might not want to stop swimming by the pond.

2. Aie Manih Beach

Aie Manih means Sweet Water. But nobody really knows how the beach got that name. What is known from this beach is the legendary story of Malin Kundang. It is said that Malin Kundang was just a son of a poor widow.

Getting bored with being poor, Malin Kundang sailed overseas to earn some wealth. After a few years, he finally became rich. He had a huge ship and lots of servants. One day, the rich Malin Kundang returned to his village for a business trip.

Seeing his son coming back after years of missing, Malin Kundang’s mother were screaming in joy and tried to hug his only son. But Malin Kundang was feeling so ashamed to have a poor old mother. So he pretended that he did not know that lady. He said that he was born rich and never set a foot on that village before. He even kicked his mother to shut her out.

Feeling disappointed by his son, Malin’s mother cursed his son to be stone. In seconds, Malin’s body started to get stiff. Malin immediately regretted his action so he bowed down to his mother and asked for forgiveness. But he was too late. Malin’s mother was already angry beyond compare and Malin finally turned into stone completely.

Minangkabau people believes that this story was based on a real event happened on this Aie Manih Beach. As a proof to that, you can see many huge stones on this beach with the shape of wrecked ship. It was Malin Kundang’s ship. There is also a stone with the shape similar to a man bowing down to the ground, just like how Malin Kundang turned into stone.

Malin Kundang Has Turned Into Stone While Bowing Down to His Mother(Source: rinaldimunir.wordpress.com. Credit: rinaldimunir)

Come to this beach and see those stone by yourself so you can decide if it is real or just a coincidence. The beach is very close to the city you can just walk there through the Siti Burbaya Bridge.

3. Siti Nurbaya Bridge

Siti Nurbaya Bridge is the biggest and most famous bridge in Padang. Located not far from the city, chances that you might walk pass this bridge while going from a place to another place thorough the city. In fact, you even walk pass it if you want to go to Aie Manih Beach.

The name Siti Nurbaya is taken from a non-fictional story of Siti Nurbaya which was written by a famous writer from West Sumatra named Marah Rusli. Not far from the bridge, there is a cave and tomb believed to be the tomb of Siti Nurbaya and his lover.

The Bridge at Night(Source: Flickr. Credit: Nicko Vandha)

This huge bridge never gets dull. It is always lively. During the day, you can see people passing by the bridge and ships passing by the river. When the sun is going down, you can enjoy the sunset from there. And finally at night, there is a lineup of culinary street market where you can enjoy the delicious Padang cuisine.

4. Adityawarman Museum

Museum Adityawarman is the most important museum in Padang. It keeps many precious collections that represent the history and culture of Minangkabau. The name Adityawarman was taken after a great king ever reigned in Padang.

This museum is 2.4 hectares wide with beautiful park around it. It is one of the most popular tourism objects in Padang. This iconic museum is located on Jalan Diponegoro 10. It is in the city so you will not get any difficulty to reach it. The building is also eye-catching with traditional Minangkabau architecture so there is no chance that you will not see it.

5. Miniature of Makkah

Miniature of Makkah is a religious tourism objects. It is said that this miniature looks really similar to its original Makkah on Saudi Arabia. For you who have not known, Makkah is a holy city of Islam where Ka’bah is located. It is a place that every Muslims want to visit.

Originally, the miniature was built to accommodate the Muslims who need a training of Hajj before they go to Makkah. But because the place is just so unique and beautiful, it is opened for public as a tourism object as well. Inside the area, you can also see several kinds of animal such as camels, snakes, and fishes. Miniature of Makkah is located on Lubuk Minturun. To reach there, you can take a public transportation to the Lubuk Minturun crossroad for only $0.2.

6. Sitinjau Lauik

Sitinjau Lauik is the place with the best panorama in Padang. It is also known by the name “Padang Scenic Point”. Located on the base of Mount Talang, this hill is not easy to access. You need to drive about 30 kilometers away from the city. So we would recommend you to ride a motor, rent a car with driver, use a taxi, or simply contact a travel agent.

Although the access is rather hard, but the scenic panorama you will see up there will pay those off. To enjoy the scene, they already prepared two viewing posts. Post 1 is not as high as Post 2 so it is suitable for people who get tired to relax. Post 1 is also good for people who just want a fresh air but not want to climb so high. But if you want the most breath-taking panorama to see, you need to go up to Post 2.

Transportation

Padang is quite accessible with Minangkabau International Airport where you can get a flight straight to Padang from selected countries. Domestic flights available daily are from and to Jakarta, Medan, and Palembang.

Inside the city, you can go from place to place using public bus and minibus. If you want a more personal transportation, you can rent a car or use a taxi. There is also a “bendi”, a simple horse carriage that can take you anywhere you want when you are not in a rush. But most tourism objects on Padang are quite close to each other that you can just walk.

Accomodations

In the city, you can easily find many hotels with various rates; from a budget hotel to an exclusive one. Banks and hospitals are also quite easy to find.

During your stay on Padang, make sure you pay a visit to Jalan Imam Bonjol where you can find a long lineup of souvenir stalls. Most souvenirs are hand-made based on Minangkabau culture. These unique souvenirs are very worth buying to take home or give it away as a gift.

Kota Padang is the best place for a relax vacation. It has many objects and you can just walk around the city. A complete choice of transportation and accommodation also allows you to enjoy the city without any hindrance. It is perfect.